


I Wanted To Give You The Stars.

by Silverhearted



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Gen, I don't really have tags for that man, It's really just them talking Abt shit, Look....., Timephoon!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-13 18:56:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20587400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverhearted/pseuds/Silverhearted
Summary: Sometimes you just gotta write a drabble bc recent scenes have left you emotionally exhausted. Don't look @ me man I just work here,





	I Wanted To Give You The Stars.

The balcony was tall. Perched high along one of the walls of McDuck manor, some half-way point between the ground and the stars. The view here was lovely.

But looking at the moon only reminded him of the duck beside him.

Louie didn't look towards Della as he started.

"Back when... You were gone. Scrooge said that we were alike. Because we," Louie cut off, arms gripping his hoodie sleeves. He hated the way his voice cracked. He hated being weak, being Less Than Optimal in front of people.

Especially people he didn't know.

He didn't look at Della, but he knew she was watching him. Probably concerned. That was.. fair, that was the normal response. But she didn't speak. So he tried again.

"He said.. that we were alike. Because we saw the angles." He spoke carefully, doing his best to ignore how obvious his voice made it that he had been crying.

"Whatever that means."

This earned half a laugh- part of him was made more comfortable by it. He had to remind himself to relax. This wasn't.. a _punishment_, this wasn't a chore. They had to talk eventually. It didn't have to all be terrible. It could be on his own terms.

Della would start talking if he stopped long enough. That wouldn't be good. He had more- he had _so much_ he needed to say. So much he needed to ask, so many answers he needed, so many tangled-up emotions he needed to express because keeping them hidden deep down in his chest would just Hurt, and he was so _tired_ of hurting.

But he didn't know where to start. He didn't want to start with the emotional equivalent ripping a bandaid off, but when he opened his beak, all that came out was,

"Why didn't you see mine?"

The question was fraught with brittleness, something bitter and cowardly and Hurt that he didn't _like_. He didn't want to yell or be mean or be angry, because that didn't _do_ anything. But he couldn't help it. He just- He needed to know. That quiet, hopeful part of him that had thought maybe they might just Click, that they'd be family from the moment he saw her, it ached for some kind of closure. Dewey had, Huey had, shoot- even Webby seemed to have a better handle on this whole Having A Mom Suddenly thing. And he didn't.

He'd curled into himself. Holding his knees, back hunched in some old instinctual want to be Smaller. Harder to hit, easier to hide. Instinct was hard to shake.

He could feel her hand ghost over his back for a moment. Like.. asking permission. Part of him missed Uncle Donald. A lot of him missed Uncle Donald.

He didn't shrink away, only swallowed and hoped he didn't start crying again right now because Dangit, he wanted to be Comprehensible at Least.

Della's hand traced soothing circles the back of his hoodie, and he cried anyway.

"I'm sorry," Della whispered. Distantly, he realized her own voice trembled. "I never.." She trailed off. A glance over betrayed her posture mirrored his own. Tucked into herself, her unbusy arm around her knees, like she wasn't sure she stay all in one piece if she didn't hold herself together.

"I wanted to give you the Stars," she started, eyes on the sky that felt so freeing before, on the stars that eventually came to just feel like bars to a prison cell.

Regret painted her features like cloud cover, something tired and sad and more human than any Legend of Della Duck had ever mentioned.

"But.. all I really did was take your mom away. Haha."

Her expression smoothed out with a sigh, troubled eyes never leaving the horizon. Part of him thought it probably grounded her. Helped her focus. He wondered if she was looking at a specific star. She probably knew them all by heart. He distantly regretted never trying to learn the constellations.

"I'm not your mom. Not.. not really."

Something in him sounded off in defiance, because- legally, she Absolutely was, and Huey and Dewey and Webby and them- She must have seen the rebuttal on his features, because she spoke again too quick for him to cut in.

"I'm not. Not yet. I don't... Shit, I don't know how to be a mom. I've been a pilot, an adventurer, an astronaut, an Alien Ambassador, sort of- ask later, long story- but I've never been a mom." She squinted.

"Don't tell Donald I said shit in front of you."

Louie couldn't really stop the snicker he gave off in reply. She seemed to brighten slightly at that, giving a half-grin, before remembering what she was saying. She gave a long, slow breath.

"I don't.. know how to be one, yet. And I'm trying, and everyone's being really nice, and I'm learning- miss B's like, kind of a rad tutor- but I'm kinda lost, y'know? I can't really tell how I fit in, anymore. I have to learn all that again."

She met Louie's eyes again for a second. He didn't really know what to say. Which is good, because she kept talking.

"And it's.. overwhelming, you know? Because I know I'm stepping on toes. I know I'm not doing everything well. And I know I'm like, this really sudden development. And I _knew_ I was going to come back to you guys. I _knew_ I'd have three kids- a bonus daughter was sort of a surprise, still rad, different topic- but I knew you'd be there. Here."

"You guys... Didn't even know I was _alive_."

There was no blame to her words. They still stung a little, despite it. She looked tired.

"And suddenly I'm here. And if I don't know how to be a mom- well shoot, how could I expect any of you to know how to have one?"

Della laughed, in a quiet sort of way. "All of this was really, _really_ fast. And probably really really unexpected! I've been gone your entire lives. I didn't even know your names! Although- seriously, Rebel would have been cool. Llewellyn's cool too, so props to Donnie, but still." She stopped short- shook her head.

It reminded him of Huey, when he got off track. He took some comfort in the relation.

"Sorry. But what I mean is.. I'm still not-quite mom material. I haven't raised you. I'm like, on the same level as Cousins You Didn't Know You Had Until You Met Them Five Seconds Ago At This Weird Family Gathering You Can't Remember The Reason For. Mom edition."

She looked sad. Part of him wanted to try at comfort her, but the rest of him was too tired and emotionally drained and teary-voiced to do much. He listened.

"I'm sorry I'm not magic-mom. Like, Poof! Here's a parent who you know and trust who it feels like has been here the whole time. 'Cause honestly? I was kinda hoping for that one myself. Like, _really_ hoping."

Della looked to the stars, an arm slung around her knee, her metal leg hanging loosely over the edge of the balcony. He hasn't noticed when she'd loosened up. He hadn't noticed when he'd stopped crying, either. Huh. The dehydration probably finally caught up to him.

"I'm still figuring this out. But.. I want to be good. I want to actually be your mom- Random Cousin mom edition really kinda sucks." She looked back over. The moon shone full and bright behind her. She looked tired, and frazzled, and still pretty sad, but.. hopeful. Her smile was small, but genuine.

"I fucked up. A lot. Like, enough that I can't say fricked. But I want to do better. I want to be an actual mom. So.."

She offered a hand. She was still careful about his boundaries, he noticed- the part of him that wasn't reeling appreciated it.

"So.. think we can try? I want to figure out your angles, Louie. It'll take a second, but.. y'know. Ducks Don't Back Down." He met her eyes. She seemed almost… nervous, at the end. She was new to this too.

He forewent the hand for more of a hug-lunge. He missed Uncle Donald, and he still didn't know her, and he wasn't sure she'd ever really be his mom just as much as Uncle Donald was well- his uncle, but.. Dangit, he wanted to Try. And...

There wasn't anything to lose. He'd always been a sucker for low risk high reward.

Della gave a sharp sort of 'oompf' at the tackle, caught off-guard and halfway toppled, but only laughed after a second. It was infectious- he felt himself laugh too, watery and unsteady and genuine. If he cried also, well, maybe that was okay.

"I think Dewey isn't monopolizing the kitchen anymore. So...... Cocoa?"

Della's voice was shakey, and he could feel warm tears on his head feathers, but he could hear the smile in it. Relief, maybe.

There was still a lot he had to talk about.

There was still so much he had to say, so much he had to know and ask about and express, but.. The knot in his chest loosened, and he felt himself breath a little easier.

Maybe it'd be okay.


End file.
